2nd and subsequent, water up to 205 degrees, 45 secondsperhaps a touch long, the butteriness is caught up in a grassier flavor, which softens with a touch more water, but the butteriness of the first infusion is still not there

3rd infusion, about 30 secondsshorter improved this one, again the first overwhelming butteriness is still not there, but the sharpness of the 2nd infusion is gone, and it's got a strong high mountain oolong flavor--that hay/wildflower/summeriness that is so characteristic of these teas, sweet and delicious; I ate a strongly flavored sweet before this infusion, so probably didn't do it justice

5th infusion, 90 secondsstill tasty and warm, but the sweetness is decreasing; herbacous notes are stronger, but not unpleasant

6th infusion, 3 minutessmooth, light, heading to sweetwater, but very pleasant on the way, with a little of the butteriness from the first infusion, but more spare, and less sweet--I did make it fairly dilute for this first test, since I didn't want to take in too much caffeine too quickly

Pretty green leaves, quite intact, some larger, most smaller, still as plucked with several on a small branch

Just a few quick words. I'd suggest giving quite some attention to/emphasis on the aftertaste and huigan, especially when brewing at recommended or higher ratios, and especially the higher oxidation teas. There will be bitterness of course but it should change into sweetness/gan followed by salivation.

I started with the Shan Lin Xi today. A few first impressions after three steeps:

The scent on opening the bag is classic Taiwanese Oolong. Fresh, green, and reasonably strong. The tea itself is deep green and nicely rolled, with tips outstanding.

First steep: Strongly, almost one-note, floral. Floral in taste and scent. Good, thick texture. Smooth and no bitterness.

Second steep: My favorite steep on lightly processed oolongs like this is generally the second. And this steep lives up to expectations. The floral notes are now complemented with buttery overtones and there's a nice balance and complexity between the two. Great.

Third steep: At this point, the buttery character of the tea is now predominating. The steep is less complex, and the texture thinner. But it's still nice overall. Still no bitterness.

I like Shan Lin Xi, and on first impression, this is very nice selection. I'm looking forward to trying it -- and the other teas -- further.

Use at least 2g of dry leaf per 30ml water, and always use off-boil to boiling water (95 degrees or higher) for every steep. Start with a flash rinse (a quick in-and-out steep to wash the dry leaves and warm up the brewing vessel); wait 1 to 2 mintues for the leaves to open up; start with 15 to 20 sec 1st infusion then brew to taste for subsequent infusions. We advise starting with these recommended parameters then experiment to find your own preferences.

I'm excited that I received OriginTea oolongs yesterday in the mail. Thank You. Since I'm now on the east coast visiting family with well water, it's going to take a few more days to figure out whether a Britta filter or store bought water works best because the Reverse Osmosis water here is a dud with my teas. On the other hand, the filtered water has done fine with the overpowering Yorkshire tea I've been drinking with the frenetic pace around here. I'm really lookinging forward to trying these special oolongs with a little calm soon. The views are spectacular, so lets see if I can get a few good shots to share with you.

I'm having 5g of the Da Yu Ling in a 100ml gaiwan. I love the green to blue colors in the dry leaves. The taste is sweet with a predominant melon aftertaste. I'm on steep 7 or 8 right now and I'm still getting some good flavors.

I opened up first the Shan Lin Xi: Long-Feng-Xia High Mountain Oolong. Leaves are a nicely rolled deep green color, with subtle aroma rising and unfurl to display quite small young leaves. To save on leaves I began with a 2:1 ratio but now think 2.5:1 would have been richer for my palate. I went with store bought spring water from Whole Foods since the well water here is acting strange right now. A very pleasant oolong overall.